Hermitage WoA Viewer (JSR 286)

Hermitage WoA Viewer (JSR 286)

The Palace of Menshikov

The Menshikov Palace, situated on the University Embankment of Vasilyevsky Island, was built to the order of the first governor of St Petersburg and close associate of Peter I, Alexander Menshikov.

Construction of this first monumental stone structure in the city began in 1710 following architectural plans drawn up by Giovanni Mario Fontana. Work continued under the guidance of Johann Gottfried Schaedel from 1712 till 1721. The architectural decoration of the palace is characteristic of the early 18th century. The central part of the building is crowned with an attic, while the side projections have curved pediments. The whole building ends in a high hipped roof. The bright, two-coloured walls of the building, pilasters with carved stone capitals decorating every floor, and plain window frames give the facade a smart look and were typical of Baroque architecture during the age of Peter the Great.
The palace was the most luxurious building in St Petersburg of Peter's time and was often used for official diplomatic receptions and assemblies.

The Hermitage Theatre is one of the oldest in St. Petersburg and in Russia. It was constructed by the architect by order of Catherine the Great in 1783-1789 on the site of the former Winter Palace of Peter the Great.

In the Hermitage architectural ensemble, the Small Hermitage is a link between the magnificent Baroque building of the Winter Palace and the splendid constructions of the age of Classicism - the Great Hermitage and the New Hermitage.